Re: Cycling to Coachella from Los Angeles

You are fucking insane for trying but good luck! I did a ride from Riverside CA to Huntington Beach CA and afterwards I couldn't pop a boner for a week. I will also buy anyone a beer who accomplishes this ride through the desert. Please be safe!

Re: Cycling to Coachella from Los Angeles

Cheers to you! I have been toying with driving to outside of Vegas to where the backroads way to Coachella through Kelso and JTree is and then biking from there over a few days. I don't have the time off work this year as we are doing DoubleChella with Mexico in between. Maybe next year. That drive is already awesome, and if I am going to tour I want it to be on lonely roads like that. The grades aren't terrible from what I remember, I will scope it out this year.

Re: Cycling to Coachella from Los Angeles

Originally Posted by billyray

yep.. thats the biggest problem.

i'm hoping once i get out there i'll meet some folks who have done similar routes or give me some route advice to avoid such situations.

It's great you have a SAG car but have you ever been to the American West before? Unless you're a pro, I don't think you're going to have much success climbing the hills out here with a fixed gear bike. Not trying to be a party pooper but the idea of finding a non-hilly route seems unlikely to me. If you've climbed thousands of feet on your fixie before or been able to sustain yourself on upwards of 9% grades then maybe I'm wrong. I think you can definitely make it eventually, I just don't see the point of doing all that climbing without a geared bike.

Re: Cycling to Coachella from Los Angeles

i would say LA --> coachella wouldn't be too bad, it's relatively flat the whole way. SD --> coachella would be stupid. the most direct route would have you crossing 2 significant vertical obstacles. this is assuming you stick with your insane idea of riding on a fixed gear. grab some gears and neither way is going to be as crazy or slow.

Zoom to this StepAvoid this Step 0.4 mi
7. Turn left onto E Slauson Ave.
E Slauson Ave is 0.1 miles past Mansfield Way
Bank of America Banking Center - City Of Commerce is on the corner
If you reach Peachtree St you've gone about 0.1 miles too far

Zoom to this StepAvoid this Step 2.4 mi
8. Turn right onto Telegraph Rd.
Telegraph Rd is 0.1 miles past E Gage Ave
Ozzie's Diner is on the corner
If you are on Slauson Ave and reach Chapin Rd you've gone about 0.1 miles too far

Zoom to this StepAvoid this Step 7.3 mi
14. Turn left onto Newport Ave.
Newport Ave is 0.1 miles past Fashion Ln
Chipotle Mexican Grill is on the corner
If you reach Charloma Dr you've gone about 0.2 miles too far

Zoom to this StepAvoid this Step 0.3 mi
15. Take the 2nd right onto Irvine Blvd.
Irvine Blvd is just past Packers Cir
Curves is on the right
If you are on Newport Ave and reach Old Irvine Blvd you've gone a little too far

Zoom to this StepAvoid this Step 4.5 mi
17. Turn right onto Marguerite Pky.
Marguerite Pky is 0.2 miles past Puerta de Luz
Mission Viejo Union 76 is on the corner
If you are on Trabuco Cir and reach Via Santa Clara you've gone about 0.1 miles too far

Zoom to this StepAvoid this Step 2.1 mi
18. Turn left onto Oso Pky.
Oso Pky is 0.1 miles past Navalosa
If you reach Claro you've gone about 0.1 miles too far

Zoom to this StepAvoid this Step 1.8 mi
19. Turn right onto Antonio Pky.
Antonio Pky is 0.8 miles past San Rafael Dr
If you reach Morning Trl you've gone about 0.1 miles too far

Zoom to this StepAvoid this Step 4.7 mi
20. Turn left onto Ortega Hwy/CA-74 N. Continue to follow CA-74 N.
If you are on La Pata Ave and reach Vista Montana you've gone about 1.4 miles too far

Zoom to this StepAvoid this Step 0.5 mi
23. Take the 1st left onto Central Ave/CA-74. Continue to follow CA-74.
CA-74 is 0.1 miles past Hunco Way
El Pollo Loco is on the left
If you reach Crane St you've gone about 0.1 miles too far

Zoom to this StepAvoid this Step 1.4 mi
28. Turn left onto Florida Ave/Hwy 74/CA-74. Continue to follow CA-74 E.
New Wine Ministries is on the corner

Zoom to this StepAvoid this Step 14.4 mi
29. Turn slight right to stay on CA-74 E.
CA-74 E is 0.3 miles past McCall Park Rd
If you are on CA-243 and reach Brunson Ln you've gone about 0.1 miles too far

Zoom to this StepAvoid this Step 36.8 mi
30. Turn right onto Highway 111/CA-111 S.
Highway 111 is 0.1 miles past El Paseo
If you are on Monterey Ave and reach San Gorgonio Way you've gone about 0.1 miles too far

Zoom to this StepAvoid this Step 7.3 mi
31. Turn right onto Jefferson St.
Jefferson St is 0.2 miles past Depot Dr
On the Run is on the corner
If you reach Shields Rd you've gone about 0.5 miles too far

Re: Cycling to Coachella from Los Angeles

Originally Posted by TheMagnanimous

It's great you have a SAG car but have you ever been to the American West before? Unless you're a pro, I don't think you're going to have much success climbing the hills out here with a fixed gear bike. Not trying to be a party pooper but the idea of finding a non-hilly route seems unlikely to me. If you've climbed thousands of feet on your fixie before or been able to sustain yourself on upwards of 9% grades then maybe I'm wrong. I think you can definitely make it eventually, I just don't see the point of doing all that climbing without a geared bike.

yeah i know its' not the best idea to do it fixed, but the holiday in general is a fixed ride.. so i want to at least attempt this fixed as i dont have much else choice (other than pack the bike up and drive with the others).
i've done quite a few rides fixed.. distance more so than climbing so climbing is a problem and a bit of a concern, but i would like to attempt it on about 70 gear ratio, whats the worse that can happen?

Re: Cycling to Coachella from Los Angeles

If someone is biking and planning on traveling to San Diego, LA, and San Fran...you have to be on meth. That's probably a week or more of biking. Do people not realize how huge California is? It takes up almost the whole West coast!!!!!

Re: Cycling to Coachella from Los Angeles

Originally Posted by billyray

but i would like to attempt it on about 70 gear ratio, whats the worse that can happen?

Clarification: Did you mean what's the worst that could happen BEFORE or AFTER you tempted fate like that? Because now that you've posted this I think it's pretty likely you'll get eaten by a grizzly bear or something.